Letter: A remarried Prince and the church

A remarried Prince and the church

Sir: It is curious that Tony Wright, a modernising MP, should ridicule the Church of England's position on remarriage after divorce, and support the behaviour of dissolute monarchs in the past ("Marriage of Charles poses risk to church", 19 July). We became recently disenchanted with the misbehaviour of many Members of Parliament, because they were maintaining that their dubious personal and financial behaviour did not affect their ability to do their duties as MPs. And so Dr Wright now belongs to a government committed to decency in public life.

In my experience, adultery leading to divorce is always damaging, especially to the children. The Church in England, founded 1,400 years ago by St Augustine, has always tried to uphold Christ's teaching that remarriage after divorce during the lifetime of the spouse is adulterous. Reference to Henry VIII, who is not commemorated by the Church in England, is ludicrous.

If we are to abolish hereditary peers, and the hereditary heir to the throne cannot uphold the expectations the Church has of her members, it may be time to have a republic and disestablish the Church in England. It would be a great relief to most of us parish clergy not be to established, but the state would be the loser.

The Rev PETER M HAWKINS

Peterborough